NEWS

Many not collecting National IDs in Dar

Contrary to expectations, the highly anticipated National Identity cards are now piling up at various issuing centres across Dar es Salaam because their owners are not collecting them.
A survey conducted by The Guardian at various centres in the city including Goigi, Kinondoni. Full Story

Another major discovery made in gas-rich Mtwara

Another major discovery has been made in gas-rich Mtwara Region estimated to have between 1 and 1.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the government announced yesterday in the nation’s capital Dodoma.
“The new discovery brings the total amount of natural gas. Full Story

Head of Glory of Christ Church Bishop Joseph Gwajima has admitted that he is in fact, the legal owner of a pistol seized from people suspected of plotting to help him escape from TMJ Hospital where he is admitted.

Tanzania will next week host this year’s edition of East Africa International Arbitration Conference (EAIAC), according to the Executive Director for Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) Godfrey Simbeye.

The government has no plans to construct a ferry at Kitunda Msinjahili ward in Lindi urban because the area does not meet required conditions, Deputy Minister for Works Gerson Lwenge told MPs yesterday.

A task force that was working into complaints, which saw the then Tanzania Ports Authority Acting Director General, Madeni Kipande, suspended, has presented its report to Transport minister Samuel Sitta.

Tree felling for raw material used to manufacture various high-end perfumes have left at least four tree species in danger of extinction, a recently released report warns.
The caution follows research conducted by Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI) whose Acting Managing Director, Dr Lawrence Mbwambo named the threatened trees to include ‘Mninga’, ‘Mkongo’, ‘Pandapanda’ and ‘Msandari’ whose roots are commonly used to manufacture perfumes.

Members of Parliament were yesterday divided over the establishment of Kadhi Courts. Most said the issue would undermine the principles of Tanzania as a secular state as observed since the era of Founding Father of the Nation Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.

The newly registered Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT) Wazalendo was launched in Dar es Salaam yesterday with its leader, Zitto Kabwe, rooting for freedom of expression, accountability and transparency.

Barely three days after the Head of Glory of Christ Church Bishop Gwajima surrendered himself to Dar es salaam Special Police Zone Offices for questioning after he allegedly used offensive words towards Archbishop of the Dar es Salaam Diocese of the Catholic Church, Polycarp Cardinal Pengo has said he forgives his fellow clergy.

The Fair Competition Commission (FCC) has seized over 300 suspected counterfeit Sumsung mobile phone handsets and its accessories.
This is a result of a combined task force between police and FCC officials who led an impromptu storming of the Arusha city’s market outlets .

The CRDB bank has offered 20 motorcycles to the Union of Motorbikes Owners and Operators (UWABOM) in Mbeya Region to ensure that more young people were self-employed.
The bank’s contribution will al
so enable the union to reach their members in the region more quickly and efficiently.

The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has approved a resolution that denies sitting allowance to members who dodge sessions.
The resolution comes amidst concerns that some members report on the first day of the sitting, sign for and take their sitting allowance but disappear and never participate either in very important plenary, committee sessions and other activities of the House.

Arusha Regional Commissioner, Felix Ntibenda has called on tour guides to participate in regular service training to equip themselves with the necessary skills to serve and retain tourists visiting the country.

While no authority has come out clear to explain what caused the head of Glory of Christ Church Bishop Gwajima to collapse on Friday evening, one of his aides has said the religious leader’s health status deteriorated right after police began questioning him about the source of his wealth.

Have you ever received a suspicious call or message from a fraudster who poses as a police officer or bank staff, trying to get money from you?
If one thinks this is a joke then here is the true story from one of the victims, a senior staffer with this group of newspapers (name withheld) who was going to lose hundreds of thousands of shillings after members of such a group contacted him, asking for money to release his wife purportedly being held at the police station.

Police in Mwanza have admitted they have been outsmarted by an alleged phony anti-HIV/Aids campaign organisation that has been swindling clients of money for fake lucrative jobs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for six years.

The passage of the draft bills to fight against cyber crimes will help to a great extent curb the growing cybercrimes incidents that have rocked the nation recently, the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Director General Prof.

Confusions over the construction of Mbezi Luis upcountry bus terminal between the Dar es Salaam City Council and the Tanzania Bus owners Association(TABOA) whereby TABOA are preparing for permanent settlement at Ubungo Bus Terminal, but the Dar es Salaam Mayor Dr Didas Masaburi says they are at the area only temporarily.

At least 55 entrepreneurs from underserved settlement of Mansese and Keko area in Dar es Salaam have been imparted with entrepreneurship skills aimed at enabling them to manage funds and sustain their projects.

Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (Tanesco) has set aside over Sh80 billion for compensating people living along the gas pipeline from Lindi to Dar es Salaam.
Payments to people in Somangafungu area in Lindi Region where the project starts, to Kinyerezi area in Dar es Salaam will take place early next month, according to the ministry of energy and minerals.

Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (Tanesco) has set aside over Sh80 billion for compensating people living along the gas pipeline from Lindi to Dar es Salaam.
Payments to people in Somangafungu area in Lindi Region where the project starts, to Kinyerezi area in Dar es Salaam will take place early next month, according to the ministry of energy and minerals.

The government has established an independent office to deal efficiently with all issues related to national debt.
The Deputy Minister for Finance Mwigulu Nchemba told the National Assembly yesterday in Dodoma that the Ministry will harmonise all experts who are dealing with national debt to form an independent office for good results.

Officers at the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam have started interrogating controversial miracle worker Bishop Josephat Gwajima of the Glory of Christ Church in the city after he surrendered to the police.

The government has withdrawn two media bills which were scheduled to be tabled in the parliament under the certificates of urgency on Tuesday next week.
The two Bills that were expected to be tabled under certificate of urgency are the Media Services Bill and the Access to Information Bill.

The government has called for re-enforcement of its decree to provide diabetic patients with free medical care, following 22 years of inertia that found millions of patients paying dear costs for the supposedly free services and treatment.

The government has been asked to task pension funds to complete the construction of Dodoma Regional Commissioner’s office building which has taken long time.
Special seats Legislator Felister Bura (CCM) Bura had wanted to know why the government had not asked pension funds to take up the project.

Tanzania has been on frequent terror-attack threats from Al-Shabab, the affiliated Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group and Al-Qaeda, threatening both the public lives and the country’s security organs.

The government is committed to ending water blues currently facing the country despite the shortage of budget it faces, the Parliament was told here yesterday.
This was said by the Minister for Water Prof.

Few hours after newly appointed Members of Parliament were sworn in, the Muhambwe Legislator Felix Mkosamali has asked the government to amend the law which forbid by- elections for vacant constituencies in Mbinga West and Kigoma North.

Tanzania government and education stakeholders in general will face a hard time implementing the newly introduced national education policy which was launched by President Jakaya Kikwete about three weeks ago, a University don has said.

Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA) have said that they will select 30 swimmers to represent the country in CANA zone five to run in Angola in May.
TSA general secretary Noel Kiunsi said in Dar es Salaam that the selected swimmers will also get the chance to be among the national team which will represent the country in the world swimming championship in July at Kazan, in Russia.

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has said stimulating sustainable long-term national, regional infrastructure development and a dynamic economic growth, would increase revenue generation thus create opportunities which will benefit the people.

Winners of the Excellence in Journalism Awards Tanzania (EJAT) and Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award will be presented their awards next month on April 24 at a colourful event to be held in the nation’s commercial city, Dar es Salaam.

All banks, both local and foreign, are to have their computer servers physically present in the country the government has ordered.
The development comes as part of ongoing government efforts to check movement of financial transactions and control cybercrime.

Despite widespread concerns, the government has insisted that the nation’s Fire and Rescue Brigade services are efficient and respond timely to emergencies.
Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Pereira Silima told the National Assembly yesterday in Dodoma that the country’s fire rescue services are, in his words, ‘always available, ready and respond quickly to emergencies.

The government has pledged to disburse funds to the Rural Energy Agency (REA) in order to make it connect power to rural dwellers in the country, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Mwigulu Nchemba, told the House yesterday.

Heads of State of countries implementing Central Corridor transport projects have been urged to adopt delivery systems that will ensure timely completion of identified projects in their respective countries.

Heads of State from countries within the Northern and Central Corridor have jointly agreed to invest on improvement of road, railway and port infrastructures to open up more economic opportunities and boost trade amongst the nations.

To stop thieves from using stolen mobile phones, the government has introduced use of the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) that will house a database of blacklisted (stolen) phone IMEI numbers and block the devices from use.

Tanzania Constitution Forum (TCF) and Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) have reiterated their call for the government to postpone the referendum for a new constitution which is scheduled for April 30.

Police in Arusha yesterday seized a vehicle owned by a tourist hunting company, Wengert Windrose, that had 11 bags of marijuana.
Arusha Regional Police Commander, Liberatus Sabas told reporters here that the vehicle was found in Ranchi area, Longido District, and its driver was identified as Frank Faustine (40).

Some members of the National Assembly have urged the government not to demolish old buildings in Dar es Salaam but rather to preserve them as historical sites and tourist attractions to increase foreign exchange earnings.

With donors contributing 97 per cent of the entire budget to combat HIV/Aids in the country and the government only 3 per cent, members of parliament yesterday proposed for the establishment of an Aids Trust Fund to supplement government efforts in the fight against HIV/Aids instead of depending on financial aid from donors.

Construction of a 100-kilometre six-lane expressway from Dar es Salaam to Chalinze in Coast Region is expected to start this year after the government approves the proposal from the transaction adviser.

Over 1100 families from Ziwani ward in Mtwara District are to benefit from the 327.2m/- community development funding allocated for the district under the third phase of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) meant to help marginalised families escape abject poverty.

Tanzania has been asked to borrow a leaf from Singapore by encouraging real estate developers and other players to get into green building, which has proved to be healthier, comfortable, more durable, and more energy efficient.

The National Electoral Commission (NEC) yesterday said because of the snail paced progress of the Biometric Voters Registration (BVR) in Njombe Region, there is a great possibility that the referendum on the proposed Constitution may be postponed.

Members of Parliament yesterday resolved to punish drug traffickers with life imprisonment in addition to fining them not less than 1 bn/-
This followed their consensus that the earlier proposed public execution of drug trafficking kingpins was against international efforts to abolish capital punishment.

Police in Muleba District, Kagera Region are holding two people found in possession of human bones that belonged to a Person with Albinism (PWA) killed almost a decade ago.
Confirming the arrest, Regional Police Commander Hennry Mwaibambe said the human remains date as far back as nine years ago.

President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday visited storm victims at Buguruni Kwa Mnyamani in Dar es Salaam pledging to re-construct the dilapidated water drainage infrastructure.
"From what we have seen the government has been very quick to try and respond to the crisis.

Media and civil society groups in Tanzania have expressed concerns over plans by the government to table two new media Bills under parliamentary rules that could see them become law with minimum debate.

The Treasury spends over 7bn/- every month to pay rent for government offices, the National Assembly heard yesterday.
Chairman of Local Authority Accounting Committee (LAAC) Rajab Mbarouk Mohamed (Ole-CUF) said this as he expressed concern over the government’s expenditure and misuse of public funds.

Despite bumper harvests of food crops last year, about a dozen regions are expected to experience food shortages this year.
This was said yesterday in Parliament here by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Godfrey Zambi.

The government has confirmed that donor funds which were previously suspended due to the Tegeta Escrow scandal will be released before the end of this financial year in July.
Deputy Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office (Regional Administration and Local Governments), Aggrey Mwanri told the National Assembly that they resolved the matter with donors and agreed to release the promised funds.

Renowned Arusha businessman Obed Masawe, (50) was found dead at a popular cub in the city and police believe he died of natural causes.
Arusha Regional Police Commander, Liberatus Sabas said the businessman, a resident of the bustling Njiro suburb in Arusha city was found dead in popular club on Tuesday (March 23) this week.

The Treasury spends over 7bn/- every month to pay rent for government offices, the National Assembly heard yesterday.
Chairman of Local Authority Accounting Committee (LAAC) Rajab Mbarouk Mohamed (Ole-CUF) said this as he expressed concern over the government’s expenditure and misuse of public funds.

President Jakaya Kikwete has warned the police against use of force and reminded them to observe human rights without fail especially during the referendum and General Elections.
The President issued the warning yesterday in Dar es Salaam at an event to mark the completion of an additional six months training for some 290 police officers from both Tanzania Mainland and the Isles who graduated from the Dar es Salaam Police Academy (DPA).

More than 5,000 residents of Buguruni kwa Mnyamani area in Dar es Salaam have been rendered homeless following floods caused by three days of heavy downpour.
Vice President Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal yesterday visited the area and pledged government support and relief aid.

With success of the pilot project, Tanzania is now working on establishing a fully fledged Single Customs Territory (SCT) in the next financial year authorities at the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) have announced.

Postal services in Tanzania are at the moment not satisfactory and have to be improved to meet customers’ demands, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology, Prof Patrick Makungu, said yesterday.

The government has commended IPP Executive Chairman Dr Reginald Mengi for his consistent support to various Savings and Credit Co-operatives (SACCOs) groups saying the support augments efforts to end abject poverty in Tanzania.

The government has reaffirmed commitment to end fraud in electronic payments through establishing and enforcing the best practices, regulations and supervision of efficient, effective payment, clearing and settlement systems.

Speaker of the National Assembly Anne Makinda yesterday turned a request to allow the august House to debate the ongoing use of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR).
The request was aired by the Ubungo Member of Parliament John Mnyika (Chadema) saying there are a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to the use of BVR which he said is fraught with complications that may result in the exercise not been completed in time.

Kigoma North MP (Chadema) Zitto Kabwe was yesterday expected to step down from his position as legislator for Kigoma North constituency but until the House session ended yesterday he did not deliver his planned farewell speech to the House.

The biggest asset and factor for the development of the poor is their land, former President Benjamin Mkapa reminded policy makers.
The former president’s statement comes as controversy mounts over last week’s report by the international organisation ActionAid that claimed the government is grabbing land from its people, in reference to the planned establishment of sugarcane plantations in Bagamoyo.

The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) has challenged the government to revisit laws governing the Ethics Secretariat faulting them for their lack of mandate and autonomy to hold civil servants accountable.

The renowned international organisation ActionAid, is accused of lobbying to prevent Tanzania from achieving economic independence in a bid to keep the country dependent on donor support particularly in food production.

Another fatal bus accident has claimed the lives of seven passengers and left at least 48 others seriously injured after a head to head on collision with another bus.
The two buses - Msanga line registration number T 637 DCD and Luwinzo registration number T 453 AUA collided head on yesterday around the Mikumi National Park in Kilosa District, Morogoro Region.

The current Firearms and Ammunition Control Act has a lot challenges which has forced the government to come out with a new bill to curb national and international crimes, the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Pereira Ame Silima told the National Assembly.

A consensus on lowering of bus fares must be reached between the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) and the Tanzania bus owners Association (Taboa) to ease the financial burden currently weighing on the citizen, opposition Civic United Front (CUF) has said.

The initial draft for a universal pension scheme for senior Tanzania citizens has already been prepared, the Deputy Minister for Labour and Employment, Makongoro Mahanga, has said.
He was responding to a question raised in the National Assembly yesterday by Diana Chilolo (CCM, Special Seats).

One hundred and fifty sickle cell patients are set to receive mobile handsets that will simplify monitoring of their health condition by sending videos of themselves taking their medication to the clinic from the comfort of their homes.

Scholars are of the view that the country’s vision should go beyond economic goals and.
The sentiments were shared yesterday in Dar es Salaam at the launch of the Nyerere Resource Centre (NRC) at the commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) in the city.

Despite the continuous decline in oil prices globally and locally, commuter bus owners in the country continue to refuse to lower fares and in fact, they want the fares increased.
This became evident yesterday when the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority Consumer Consultative Council (Sumatra CCC) made a fresh proposal that urban commuter bus fares should be reduced to 300/- from the current 400/- for every 10kms and that upcountry luxury bus fares should be reduced to 29,000/- instead of 36,000/-.

US Marines and Sailors are conducting a month long training for game rangers at the Selous Game Reserve to help them combat illicit trafficking in the area.
Started last Monday, the training is attended by 50 park rangers.

Members of Parliament were yesterday up in arms demanding the government to officially distinguish the types of jobs which can be done by Tanzanians and foreigners.
Debating the Non-Citizens Employment Regulation Bill 2014, they said doing so would end complaints and confusion in employment related matters.

The government has announced on Tuesday that it will conduct a countrywide investigation to identify illegal migrants who are alleged to participate in the voting during civic polls held in December last year.

The government has spent a total of 45bn/- for paying maize farmers, the National Assembly has been informed.
Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Stephen Wassira told the National Assembly yesterday during questions and answers session, that more funds are expected from Treasury to ensure that all the farmers get paid.

An employee with the CRDB Bank, Telesphory Gura (43), on Monday appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court charged with five counts, including theft and laundering of more than 200m/-
The prosecution, led by State Attorney Genes Tesha told Senior Resident Magistrate Frank Moshi that the offences were committed between August 1, 2008 and March 30, 2013 in Dar es Salaam.

The Mathematical Association of Tanzania (MAT) has implored parents and guardians to encourage children under their care to build interest in and fall in love with math.
Arusha Region Chairman of MAT, Emmanuel Kisongo aired the appeal here recently during the climax of World PI Day celebration, which in Arusha was celebrated by over 100 math teachers and students from various secondary schools across the city.

Former President Benjamin Mkapa is to today expected to officiate at the launch of the highly anticipated Mwalimu Nyerere Resource Centre at the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) in Dar es Salaam.